Tag: europe

  • Get Packing

    Get Packing

    Once the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations come into force, tobacco companies will have around 18 months to ensure all their packaging in the market is compliant. | Photos: Parkside

    Preparing for Europe’s new waste regulations

    By George Gay

    In July, Parkside issued a press note describing some of the ways in which flexible packaging might be used to help manufacturers in responding to the EU’s nascent Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR), ideas that Tobacco Reporter followed up on in a conversation with the company’s sales account manager of tobacco, Laura Haggerty.

    Parkside’s Recoflex range includes plastic and paper-based materials that are suitable for recycling.

    Tobacco Reporter: Would you please explain to those not entirely familiar with the world of packaging how you define the term “flexible packaging?”

    Laura Haggerty: Flexible packaging refers to any item of packaging that is made from a nonrigid material. In the tobacco industry, it’s most commonly seen in the form of loose-tobacco pouches, the shrink-wrap film that we use to protect cigarette cartons, and cigarette carton liners.

    However, flexible packaging can be made of almost any material, including plastic, bioplastic, paper and aluminum foil. Each material has its own pros and cons, which is why they are often combined in the form of laminates. A tobacco packaging will often contain several laminate materials to help keep its contents fresh by protecting against moisture and oxygen.

    Your press note says a preliminary deal on the PPWR was reached in April. Do you know when the regulations will be finalized?

    The provisional text of the deal has been finalized and will come into force at the end of 2024, but some key details will not be decided for several years.

    The EU will investigate the viability of bio-based materials in 2027 while the design for recycling guidelines will not be set until 2028. This means PPWR will not take its final form until the end of the decade at the earliest.

    When will the regulations be enforced?

    While PPWR comes into force at the end of this year, businesses have 18 months to ensure they comply with the new rules. That means, in practice, they will be enforced from mid-2026.

    What will be the main differences between the packaging regulations under PPWR and those under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) already in force?

    The main difference is that PPWR is a regulation whereas PPWD is a directive. In EU law, directives set a goal that is legally binding, but member states have a degree of freedom in how they reach that goal. Regulations are entirely legally binding, setting out policies that member states must follow in full, even if that means rewriting that country’s laws. This will also harmonize regulations across the EU, which should help with implementation.

    This is important as it will see extended producer responsibility (EPR) rollout across the EU. EPR is a policy approach that makes packaging producers responsible for the cost of packaging waste management. These costs are meant to encourage producers to design out unnecessary packaging while also incorporating recyclable materials where possible.

    PPWR also introduces new, more ambitious targets for waste reduction that each country must meet. These targets are to reduce packaging waste per capita by 5 percent by 2030, 10 percent by 2035 and 15 percent by 2040 compared to 2018 levels. It includes mandatory reuse and refill targets for certain packaging types, more restrictions on single-use plastics and PFAS [perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances] chemicals, and new labeling requirements, among many other things.

    What are the main ways in which the new regulations will affect the tobacco/nicotine industry?

    The introduction of EPR will have a major effect. Tobacco companies operating in the EU will have to cover the costs of waste disposal, so they will find margins squeezed unless they can redesign packaging to be easier to recycle—or use less packaging altogether. When the design for recycling guidelines is finalized, this may become mandatory.

    This will affect the use of materials like shrink-film, which is currently problematic to recycle in existing infrastructure, so tobacco companies may have to look at other barrier materials to protect their products through the supply chain.

    Part of PPWR also includes new labeling requirements, which tobacco companies will have to incorporate alongside their existing strict labeling obligations.

    At this stage, can and should tobacco/nicotine product businesses start considering their options and even taking steps to change at least some of their packaging?

    Tobacco companies should absolutely look at ways they can change their packaging. Once PPWR comes into force, they will have around 18 months to ensure all their packaging in the EU market is compliant. This does not leave much time to evaluate, redesign and produce new packaging. Remember that as tobacco packaging is already highly regulated in the EU, any changes must also comply with existing legislation.

    Looking at the wider tobacco industry, including its new-generation nicotine products, which of its packaging materials will be affected by the likely changes brought in by the PPWR?

    Flexible packaging like pouches will likely be affected as they rely heavily on soft plastics, which are difficult to recycle. As mentioned, this will also affect the shrink-wraps and the inner liners commonly used in flip-top cartons and other rigid packaging, so it will likely have wide-reaching consequences for all tobacco packaging.

    Should the industry try to eliminate all “plastic materials” from its packaging, however that term is defined, or should it aim to eliminate only those plastics that do not break down in an environmentally friendly manner and become “forever” particles?

    Plastic is often painted as a villain, but the truth is much more nuanced than that. Unnecessary plastic use is a problem, but solving it needs a holistic, considered approach. Simply eliminating all plastics would have a disastrous effect on the environment in the form of increased product waste.

    Compostable materials are a possible solution and an area where we are a market leader. We produce accredited compostable pouches that can break down in domestic compost heaps and industrial organic recycling facilities. These materials are commonly used for pouches, but they also have applications as wraps for cigars and liners for cartons.

    Which of the Parkside packaging innovations mentioned in your press note would be appropriate for tobacco industry application?

    We work closely with our customers in the tobacco sector, so many of our solutions are ideal for tobacco packaging applications. Our Recoflex range includes plastic and paper-based materials that are suitable for recycling and can be tailored with high barrier coatings, metallization and more. We produce pack wraps, individual wraps for cigars, inner liners, resealable lock-and-peel pouches, and compostable pouches, all of which are suited to many applications within tobacco packaging.

    Will the arrival of the PPWR regulations provide an opportunity for the tobacco/nicotine industry to make radical changes to its packaging, or do tobacco/nicotine industry-specific regulations make such moves impossible or unlikely?

    The strict industry-specific regulations do pose some challenges when it comes to labeling. Packaging will need to contain labeling that describes its material composition and recyclability, so incorporating these new labels in a way that complies with existing restrictions may require some redesigning.

    Restrictions on pack shape, such as restrictions on slimline cartons, mean it is difficult to radically rethink many tobacco packaging formats. However, it may be possible to reduce the weight of packs using lighter weight materials combined with water-based barrier coatings to ensure performance.

    Presumably, there will be a cost associated with tobacco industry players changing their packaging. How can they minimize such costs while remaining compliant?

    We recommend working closely with a trusted packaging partner. At Parkside, we have worked closely with many tobacco companies for many years. That means we have developed the expertise needed to tailor packaging solutions to ensure they meet the needs of our customers in terms of both pack performance and compliance. This ensures packs can be designed and produced efficiently, which is always the best way to minimize costs.

    Progressive businesses are generally not opposed to reasonable regulations provided they are evenly applied and competition remains on a level playing field. Do you have any insights, based on your experience with the PPWD, of how strictly and how evenly the new regulations are likely to be applied?

    Part of the idea of PPWR is to harmonize regulations across the EU, so that would indicate the intention is to create a level playing field. However, it could still be subject to some variations as different member states have differing infrastructures. A country that already has robust recycling and waste management infrastructure in place will find it much easier to adapt.

    As a result, we anticipate PPWR will be applied more evenly than PPWD was—but there may still be some divergence in places.

    Finally, while the EU is hugely important to your business, does Parkside focus on other parts of the world?

    Certainly. We have invested heavily in our Malaysian site in recent years, meaning we now offer a comprehensive suite of services and solutions to tobacco companies across APAC [Asia-Pacific] countries as well as Europe. This gives us a greater level of agility and flexibility to operate on a global scale.

    George Gay is Tobacco Reporter’s European editor, but his territory spans the globe. Based in London, George has covered the tobacco industry since 1982, initially for a U.K.-based publication and since 2004 for Tobacco Reporter. George’s understanding of industry issues, combined with his keen sense of observation and dry wit, have earned him a loyal following among Tobacco Reporter’s readers.
  • At the Crossroads, Again

    At the Crossroads, Again

    Photo: jorisvo

    There are still more unknowns than knowns about the shape of future European regulation for novel nicotine products.

    By Barnaby Page

    Europe’s relationship with novel nicotine products has always been a mixed one. On the one hand, the more extreme forms of hysteria about youth vaping or supposed health risks have been relatively absent from the European scene; the U.K. in particular has been regarded as perhaps the most pro-vaping major economy in the world. And regulation—in most countries, heavily shaped by the European Union’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD)—is in some respects light-touch.

    Most notably, rather than following the U.S. model, which in theory requires marketing authorization by the Food and Drug Administration before products can be sold, the EU has eschewed the premarket approval approach and simply asks for products and businesses to be compliant with the TPD’s requirements.

    But if Europe (which for the rest of this article mostly means the EU and its member states) has been looser in its regulatory approach than the U.S. in some ways, many of the requirements that it does make are quite onerous: the 20 mg per milliliter limit on nicotine strength, for example. It is also well known that the TPD as originally conceived was going to be far more restrictive and was only scaled back after pressure.

    And there have been distinct signs lately of Europe becoming more cautious. Most flavors were banned EU-wide in heated-tobacco products; several countries have enacted, or will enact, disposable e-cigarette bans; the Netherlands, usually famed for its tolerance, is an example of a country that has started showing a lot of skepticism toward novel nicotine products; even in the U.K.—no longer an EU member—government support for tobacco harm reduction seems to be ebbing away a little, though it certainly hasn’t turned into outright opposition yet.

    Set against this background, there is concern that the next version of the TPD may make major changes to the EU’s regulatory framework for novel tobacco products, reflecting conservative positions.

    So far, nothing is known for sure about the actual content of the next TPD or about any updates to the lesser-known Tobacco Advertising Directive and Tobacco Excise Directive—though a European Commission spokesperson did confirm to Tamarind Intelligence, late last year, that vaping would be a focus of the TPD. The commission’s job with the TPD is essentially to formulate the legislation, which representatives from all the EU member states, in the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, then vote on.

    However, looking at what is already happening across Europe gives some indicators of what’s possible—action against disposable vapes in France and Belgium, for example, or against flavored products in Finland and Hungary. Though it’s true that EU policy certainly does not derive directly from localized policy in member states, there are trends visible that are bound to be reflected in Brussels. It’s also worth noting that the much-anticipated swing to the populist right in the most recent European elections failed to fully materialize, which may well mean that the EU will continue to favor tight, precise regulation and not care too much whether it is seen as “business-friendly.”

    First, disposable bans: There have been debates or even legislation in most major European countries over banning disposables, partly because of youth usage but also because of environmental impacts. Even if not all of these come to pass, the fact that an outright prohibition on disposable vapes is so widely seen as a reasonable, proportionate regulatory response—not an unrealistic or extremist one—must make an EU-wide ban a possibility.

    Second, flavors: There is a precedent for some kind of vape flavor ban in the existing EU ban on flavors in heated tobacco, and a number of EU health ministers have given such a measure their support. This would be a greater blow to the industry than a disposables ban, though a crucial question would be exactly what is outlawed and what is permitted.

    The most draconian position would be a reduction of the market to tobacco and perhaps menthol/mint flavors. There could, however, be a middle ground with some other flavors allowed that still removed the more outre and (supposedly) youth-tempting ones from the market; there have also been suggestions that a ban on extreme flavor descriptions, rather than the actual flavors, could achieve the same end. So there are quite a lot of options on the table when it comes to regulation of flavors, and this is perhaps the area to watch most closely.

    Other major areas likely to come under consideration include taxation, and an extension of the existing EU ban on snus (from which only Sweden is exempt) to tobacco-free nicotine pouches.

    An equally big question, however, is when any of this will happen. The process of revising the TPD has been underway for more than two years now, suffering several delays and changes in its schedule.

    For example, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante) had originally promised to finalize its evaluation report on tobacco policy last year, but when the commission published its work program for 2024, it made no mention of revising tobacco policy. Therefore, it seems unlikely that there will be major announcements on the TPD or other Europe-wide tobacco regulation in 2024.

    When it eventually does happen, it will be the culmination of a process that started more than two years ago, when the commission launched a call for evidence, which ran from May 2022 to June 2022. This was then followed by a public consultation from February 2023 to May 2023. Eventually, the results of these consultations should be taken into account by the commission when it drafts a directive to be discussed by the Parliament, but so far … nothing.

    So it’s been a long period of near silence even though many expected action—and debate—much sooner. The delays may be partly down to divergence in member states’ positions on tobacco control—it’s going to be hard to come up with Europe-wide policies that at least partially satisfy enough member states and enough competing principles.

    Although the European Commission will be the one to propose the new policies, it is the legislators in the Parliament (and the Council of the European Union, the other “house” of the European legislature) who ultimately vote for or against it. So, while the commission may well be likely to maintain a conservative or even quasi-prohibitionist stance, it’s very possible that Members of Parliament (MEPs) may disagree. Some MEPs who spoke with ECigIntelligence said that they were prepared to fight conservative approaches to novel nicotine products that may be counterproductive for harm reduction, and the influx of new MEPs after this year’s election adds a further level of uncertainty.

    Moreover, positions on novel nicotine products cannot easily be predicted from political affiliation. Generally, the more right-wing a party is, the more easygoing toward novel nicotine products it tends to be (and this would in theory make the broadly rightward trend in politics a positive one for harm reduction’s proponents), but this is far from consistent and there are many exceptions (as indeed there are to that rightward trend).

    For example, arguments prioritizing consumer education and freedom of choice over strict policies, historically usually attributed to right-wing parties, are often also shared by left-wing parties. The national origin of a politician may be just as significant as their nominal position on the left-right spectrum—a left-winger from a country with very strict regulation of tobacco products is often likely, we find, to be more sympathetic to that kind of legal regime than a left-winger from a country with a much lighter touch.

    So there are plenty of unknowns, and of course the unusual position of the U.K.—the biggest market for novel nicotine products in Europe—is another one. When the last TPD appeared, the U.K. was still a member of the EU, and so it adopted the TPD’s measures into its own domestic legislation (as all EU member states must do with European directives). But it has since left the union, via Brexit. The current British government certainly seems to have a hardline attitude on disposables, but there are also indications that it remains supportive of harm reduction, so how aligned the U.K. will remain with the rest of the EU in the future is very much an open question. One distinct possibility is that even if Britain starts to tighten regulation on some aspects of novel nicotine products, it remains more liberal than an EU that gets even tougher.

    Barnaby Page has been covering the tobacco harm reduction business as a journalist for more than 10 years as editorial director at Tamarind Intelligence, a pioneering data intelligence and strategic insight provider offering global market and regulatory data analysis for businesses operating in fast-growing industries. Tamarind currently covers the vapor sector with ECigIntelligence, other tobacco and nicotine alternatives with TobaccoIntelligence, and cannabis with CannIntelligence. This article also incorporates research from other Tamarind staffers.
  • Vaping Surpasses Smoking Among European Youth: WHO

    Vaping Surpasses Smoking Among European Youth: WHO

    Photo: Maksym Yemelyanov

    Vaping has surpassed smoking among adolescents in Europe, according to a new report by the World Health Organization.

    The global health body found that among 15-year-olds, 32 percent had used an e-cigarette and 20 percent consumed vaping products in the past 30 days.

    “The widespread use of harmful substances among children in many countries across the European region—and beyond—is a serious public health threat,” said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe. “Considering that the brain continues to develop well into a person’s mid-20s, adolescents need to be protected from the effects of toxic and dangerous products. Unfortunately, children today are constantly exposed to targeted online marketing of harmful products.”

    Historically, there has been a difference between boys and girls, with more boys smoking than girls. With e-cigarettes, girls reach the same level of use by 15 as boys and even outpace them after 15.

    While acknowledging that some health authorities view e-cigarettes as a positive alternative to smoking for adults, the WHO expressed concern about aggressive targeting by manufacturers of a younger market, which has contributed to a particularly sharp rise in consumption between the ages of 13 and 15, according to the organization.

    The WHO report calls for e-cigarettes to be incorporated into smoke-free policies, with similar measures to restrict marketing, reduce toxicity, remove flavors and increase taxation.

    The health body has already called for e-cigarettes to be made available only to those who are trying to quit smoking, where other proven cessation strategies have been exhausted. It has also called for e-cigarettes to be regulated like medicines rather than being sold as consumer products.

  • Hyla Applies to Sell Vegan Vape in Europe

    Hyla Applies to Sell Vegan Vape in Europe

    Image: Olivier Le Moal

    Endexx Corp.’s Hyla division is filing an EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) application for its vegan formulated e-cigarette products.

    “Our proprietary botanical ingredient profile, flavoring and vegan sensitive formulations created in the United States will carry through in Hyla’s nicotine-enhanced products. These factors are what differentiate Hyla’s product quality,” stated Nick Mehdi, CEO of Hyla. “Hyla’s distribution partners in Europe are the top tobacco and e-cigarette distributors in Europe and have directly requested this product expansion due to ongoing demand and need for compliance leadership provided by Hyla.”

    The TPD registration accelerates Hyla’s product placement into Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Several of the listed countries have already reviewed Hyla’s non-nicotine products. The TPD registration opens the European market to all Hyla’s products.

    “Endexx’s investment into Hyla has generated early success by providing non-nicotine electronic devices into the international markets. The Hyla brand represents high-quality, vegan and natural products, with attention to all regulations and compliance required to conduct commerce in each country,” said Todd Davis, CEO of Endexx. “This registration process helps secure the success of our long-term target of being a dominant player in the international age-restricted CPG markets.”

  • Teatime

    Teatime

    Photo: cook_inspire

    Sales of herbal heated-tobacco sticks are growing in Europe.

    By Stefanie Rossel

    They’re called Anita, Leme or Nexus, and they come in flavors such as chocolate, banana, coffee and strong menthol: Herbal heat-not-burn (HnB) sticks are becoming increasingly popular in European markets. Instead of tobacco, they use black tea leaves as a carrier material, which is infused with aromas and may or may not be laced with nicotine. The sticks are used with regular tobacco-heating devices. Most of the herbal consumables are compatible with heating-blade systems, like the original IQOS.

    Albeit still a tiny niche of the market, the segment is growing—and it is fragmented. In a recently published report, TobaccoIntelligence noted that an internet search for the term “herbal stick” in five European languages yielded almost 900 products across 31 websites.

    Containing no tobacco, herbal HnB consumables fall into a regulatory grey area, particularly if they are nicotine-free, according to Barnaby Page, editorial director at Tamarind Intelligence, the publisher of TobaccoIntelligence. “When the EU Tobacco Products Directive [TPD2] was first devised, nobody had anticipated these products,” he says. “So while there is some general regulation that covers things such as packaging and labeling, they don’t have the kind of stringent requirements applied to them that most tobacco products do.”

    Looking at compatible herbal HnB sticks in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and the U.K., TobaccIntelligence identified 19 brands. In all countries except the Czech Republic, nicotine-free consumables are more prevalent than those containing nicotine. The highest number of such products is found in Hungary, which has a big market for heated-tobacco products (HTPs). According to TobaccoIntelligence, only in Lithuania and Japan did HTPs account for a greater share of the overall tobacco market in 2022. According to Page, the success of herbal HnB products in Hungary may simply be a response to the pricing of HTPs there. The U.K., a vape market, had the fewest number of herbal HnB products but ranked second in terms of unique brands found.

    Healcier was the most commonly searched for herbal HnB brand on the internet in the five countries investigated by TobaccoIntelligence, followed by Heccig and Nuso. On average, there are eight different flavors per brand, with fruit flavors and cooling flavors, such as menthol or mint, being most sought after. The sticks retail at an average price of €4.40 ($4.79) per pack of 20 and are cheapest in Poland and most expensive in Germany, with average retail prices of €3.30 and €6.20, respectively.

    Across all five countries analyzed, the average price of a pack of compatible herbal heat sticks was lower than the recommended retail price of a pack of IQOS Heets, with the largest difference detected in Hungary, where the herbal alternatives are on average €1.15 cheaper than IQOS consumables. Because they don’t contain tobacco, tea-based products avoid tobacco taxes and are subject only to value-added taxes.

    The herbal sticks are sold at tobacconists, vape stores, supermarkets and convenience stores and through online channels, such as online marketplaces, social media sites or the brands’ own online shops. They are also available on all eight of Amazon’s country-specific EU websites. Most products come with their own branded heating device but are also compatible with existing heating devices.

    Low Entry Barriers

    The market for herbal combustibles is opportunistic, according to Page. “It’s no dramatic kind of paradigm shift in the way the e-cigarette was or even in the way of heated tobacco,” he says. “It’s a way of taking advantage of specific market needs and a specific regulatory situation.” Entry barriers for manufacturers are low and not dissimilar to the e-cigarette model. “It’s like producing e-liquids—something you can do on a very small scale,” says Page. “You don’t have to tool out vastly complicated factories.”

    In terms of construction, the consumables resemble HTP units. The products feature a cotton core mouthpiece followed by a cooling unit made from food-grade silicone and, at the stick’s end, the tea leaves, which contain a combination of vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Their nicotine content ranges between 0 percent and 4 percent.

    Of the 19 brands TobaccoIntelligence analyzed, seven had both nicotine and non-nicotine variants; seven featured only non-nicotine sticks, and five featured only nicotine-containing consumables. The number of flavor options ranges from two to 18 per brand, according to the report, which found a total of 112 different flavors.

    Such variety will soon present herbal heating products with competitive advantage. On Oct. 23, nontobacco-flavored HTPs will become illegal throughout the EU. The potential success of herbal alternatives may be short-lived, however. A revised version of the directive, TPD3, is expected to be released in 2024. Page expects the EU to broaden the definition of covered products.

    “Anything including herbal sticks would fall in it,” he says. “Tobacco regulators used to consider tobacco and nicotine as undistinguishable synonyms. Obviously, this has changed in the last decade. So nicotine has to be seen as a separate category than tobacco. TPD3 is not likely to target herbal consumables directly but as part of an overarching framework.”

    That said, it will be challenging for authorities to regulate products that contain neither tobacco nor nicotine. “How do you sensibly bring it into a regime?” he asks. “You are essentially inhaling the vapor of tea. I don’t see how you can rationally regulate a flavored nicotine-free product as being a tobacco product because it simply isn’t one.”

    In a Grey Zone

    Depending on the way they are marketed, nicotine-free herbal sticks might escape regulation. Because they are not subject to tobacco regulation, manufacturers of herbal heated sticks are free to make all sorts of claims about their products, though they are of course still subject to general consumer laws.

    On their websites, companies operating in the segment emphasize that without tobacco, their herbal sticks—at least the nicotine-free varieties—present a lower risk of addiction than tobacco products.

    In addition, they claim tea leaves are not treated with the same harmful chemicals that are frequently found in commercially available tobacco products, resulting in a less toxic product. Also, unlike tobacco heat sticks, herbal alternatives leave no unpleasant tobacco smell. And because herbal sticks allow users to mimic the hand-mouth action of smoking, they may make it easier for consumers to wean themselves off the “hazardous and addictive” consumption of tobacco, according to herbal HnB companies.

    Herbal consumables may offer a “unique and pleasurable alternative to tobacco regarding taste and experience,” in the words of one vendor, and manufacturers frequently highlight how “natural” the aromas are.

    A look at Amazon customer reviews of these products, however, is sobering: Some users complain about flavor and unpleasant side effects, saying, for instance, that the products taste like black leaves and that the taste becomes unbearable after four or five puffs. Others mention headaches and nausea. Page says he is unaware of any scientific research into the health impact of herbal sticks.

    As for the growth opportunities of the category, Page says he would be surprised if tobacco manufacturers ventured into this small market. “We do know that they have looked to cannabis for obvious reasons, though,” he says. “Perhaps we will see a second or third generation development of herbal sticks from them.”

    The argument that low-nicotine or non-nicotine herbal products may help smokers quit nicotine consumption certainly is a point to be considered in this context. Currently, tobacco manufacturers only offer consumables featuring a constant nicotine strength.

    Page expects sales of herbal consumables to grow in Europe after the EU ban on flavored HTPs takes effect. “Regulators permitting, I could also see herbal sticks being taken up in the U.S.,” he says.

    Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
  • European Elections Could Affect Vaping

    European Elections Could Affect Vaping

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Elections in several European countries could affect support of reduced-risk nicotine products like e-cigarettes, according to Tamarind Intelligence Policy Radar research.

    Governments in Europe are the most likely to officially support reduced-risk products.

    According to Tamarind Intelligence, forthcoming elections in Finland, Spain, Ireland and the Czech Republic as well as elections for the European Parliament could be significant in determining the future of the products.

    “Our analysis of official attitudes toward e-cigarettes and other tobacco harm reduction products shows some clear global trends,” said Tamarind Intelligence Editorial Director Barnaby Page. “For example, European countries tend to have more favorable attitudes while Asian countries tend to be much more polarized.

    “However, the laws in this area can change very rapidly—sometimes because government itself changes or at other times because issues such as underage vaping or the environmental impact of disposable vapes come into the spotlight.”

    Researchers expect worldwide regulation of reduced-risk products to become stricter, especially in upper-middle-income and high-income countries. Flavored products are expected to receive the most attention with countries proposing bans on the products.

  • JTI calls for dialogue

    JTI calls for dialogue

    Japan Tobacco International says that new European research shows that policies based on evidence and dialogue are needed to restore public trust in policy-making.
    The company’s comments, posted on its website yesterday, follow the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which was held in Geneva last week.
    JTI said that new research it had commissioned had revealed that the public wanted regulators to be open to dialogue with business, and that more fairness and credible evidence was needed in policy-making.
    The research, conducted in Europe by Populus with Ipsos as fieldwork provider, found that of the 8,473 respondents surveyed across eight European countries, an average of:
    * ’72 percent believed that it is either very important or somewhat important that the policy-making process is open to dialogue between governmental authorities and all parties who are potentially impacted by it, including businesses;
    * ’79 percent believed that it is either very important or somewhat important that a policy should be introduced based on credible evidence of its effectiveness, instead of a biased assumption it will work.
    * ’76 percent would protect the principle of free speech; either actively fighting for the right of someone they disagree with to speak, or passively agreeing with someone they disagree with’s right to express their opinion.’
    JTI said that proceedings at the FCTC COP’s ‘echo chamber’ differed hugely from those of other UN decision-making bodies such at the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] on Climate Change, where businesses were an integral part of discussions, and plenary sessions were public.
    ‘Today’s new research shows that the public want politicians and officials to consider all the facts and viewpoints – including from businesses,’ it said. ‘Ousting one group of companies from giving their views and sharing their expertise contradicts basic democratic principles and is counterproductive.
    ‘The same can be said of discussions on harm reduction at COP8 last week. Thanks to innovation and advances in science, JTI offers products that have the potential to reduce risks associated with smoking and the company would have been well placed to take part in those discussions. Yet, it appears that the FCTC COP still has an obsolete conception of tobacco companies.’
    Jonathan Duce, head of external communications at JTI’s global headquarters in Geneva, was quoted as saying that the public were right that all views must be heard.
    “The FCTC COP would have been wise to follow their advice last week, because governments can only make good decisions once they have taken everyone’s views into account,” he said. “The findings of this research are clear: more must be done by governments around the world to restore public confidence in the regulators who make the rules we all abide by. This research has shone a light on what citizens expect from decision making and shows that people only want policies if they are supported by credible evidence and proven to be effective.”

  • Shisha alliance formed

    Shisha alliance formed

    Alliance One International said yesterday that its German subsidiary, Alliance One Rotag, and France Tabac Union de Sociétés Coopératives Agricoles had ‘entered into an agreement for the sourcing, processing and marketing of high-quality flue-cured Virginia shisha-style tobacco’.
    ‘Together, the two organizations will provide customers with the high-quality flue-cured Virginia shisha-style tobacco that the European region is recognized for producing,’ AOI said in a note posted on its website.
    ‘Alliance One Rotag intends to continue sourcing high-quality German and Polish flue-cured Virginia tobaccos, which will be processed with the French-origin tobaccos sourced from France Tabac in its processing facility located in Sarlat, France.’
    “Our new agreement with Alliance One Rotag is a great opportunity to expand the footprint of European shisha-style tobacco,” said Remy Losser, chairman of the Board of France Tabac.
    “Alliance One’s global presence and experience in agronomy, processing and marketing will bring tremendous added value to the French tobacco industry, and we are excited for the future of the market.”
    Meanwhile, Scott Burmeister, Alliance One’s regional director for Europe, said French, German and Polish flue-cured Virginia tobaccos were recognized worldwide for their quality and unique natures, and that the agreement would position the company to meet the needs of a growing shisha market, while continuing to serve the needs of its traditional customers. “Our agreement with France Tabac will enable us to deliver enhanced value for shisha and traditional customers as we combine France Tabac’s experience and capabilities in producing high-quality French shisha-style tobaccos with Alliance One’s international footprint.”

  • PMI patently trying

    patents photo
    Photo by hospi-table

    Philip Morris International has been ranked 63rd on the European Patent Office’s (EPO) list of the top 100 patent applications for 2016.

    In a note published on its website, PMI said that the list, which was published yesterday as part of the EPO’s Annual Report, did not include any other tobacco companies.

    ‘PMI is committed to a smoke-free future, where non-combustible alternatives replace cigarettes to the benefit of smokers, public health and society at large,’ the note said.

    ‘PMI’s patent portfolio includes over 1,800 patents granted and almost 4,000 pending applications published for intellectual property generated during the development of our smoke-free products. They include a wide range of innovations, such as technologies to precisely heat tobacco instead of burning it, new ways to heat liquids in e-cigarettes and manufacturing processes.’

    Michele Cattoni, PMI’s vice president of technology and operations for smoke-free products was quoted as saying that developments in technology and science were key to PMI’s commitment to provide all adult smokers with a range of better alternatives to cigarettes. “Our scientists are inventing new ways to deliver a satisfying experience to smokers without burning tobacco,” he said. “Our patents are tangible evidence of our progress towards a smoke-free future, where cigarettes will be replaced by non-combustible products.”

    PMI said that, since 2008, it had hired more than 400 scientists and experts and invested more than US$3 billion in research, product development and scientific substantiation for smoke-free products. It openly shared its scientific methodologies and findings for independent third-party review and verification, which was available on PMIScience.com. All research to date on its most advanced smoke-free product, IQOS, clearly indicated that it was likely to present less risk of harm than continued smoking. Over 1.4 million smokers had already fully switched to it.

  • European WHO members to make ‘tobacco a thing of the past’

    Health ministers from the 53 European member nations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sept. 16 agreed to a plan to make “tobacco a thing of the past” within the next decade.

    The member nations—who convened at the WHO’s 65th session of the Regional Committee for Europe in Vilnius, Lithuania—intend to realize this goal by enforcing a series of smoke-free laws and bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and by implementing new educational initiatives. In addition, the roadmap calls for an end to portrayals of smoking in the entertainment industry as well as training to teach health care and family support workers to deliver smoking-cessation interventions.

    The WHO has urged European governments to set national targets for significant reductions in tobacco use by 2025. Ireland, Scotland and Finland aim to have smoke-free populations by 2015, 2034 and 2040, respectively.

    Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, said, “The generation growing up now cannot comprehend that people used to smoke on airplanes, buses, in restaurants or in offices,” and that “the dream of a Europe where tobacco control has succeeded is not unrealistic.”